Michigan Universities Face Hostile Financial, Political Circumstances

There’s little doubt that our universities are among Michigan’s most valuable and important assets. But real alarm about public higher education is spreading throughout the country -- and threatening profound consequences for our state and it colleges.

Take the case of Teresa Sullivan, a former provost at the University of Michigan and now president of the University of Virginia. On June 10, with no advance warning, she was forced to resign by the university’s board, which said she wasn’t making changes fast enough. The campus erupted in anger. Under pressure from the governor, the board quickly reinstated Sullivan.